How To Win

There comes a point in every OZ viewer's life (that is, the viewers who are enjoying the show from the new vantage point of the net-savvy* tv-without-ads-on-demand-watching-whole-seasons-over-a-weekend-rather-than-a-few-months, as opposed to the populatation that unfortunately have to have it delivered to them via expensive and inefficient channels) when they have to ask themselves - can I stop now?

Working, as we at souptoys do, in a decommissioned penitentiary, the show gives an interesting insight into what was going on here before we turned (part of) it into a toy factory. I can't say I've watched as much as my colleagues, but the bits I've seen (complete with french subtitles) have been more than shocking enough to convince me that it's a worthwhile, if not a happy, production. The shivving and OZ-style 'fraternity' is portrayed in such a vivid way that to watch can be at times cringemaking, if not painful.

When is enough? With six seasons and no happy end in sight (HOW can this have been made in America?) how does a viewer decide they've had all the beatings, shivving and rape they can handle? If you quit before the end do you 'win'? Having gotten the point that the prison system is, like t**sday: Fucked, can you stop - or do you owe it to the characters (representative as they are of a large portion of society) to watch to the bitter end and in doing so understand their situation somewhat better?

My guess is watch as much as you can stand - education can be a painful process, but understanding is the first step in a Jerry Springer Closing Thought.

Here's something fun

Coming soon on T&T&T - "The Blogger We All Hate" and "Where Did My Imagination Go?"


* Normally, I wouldn't use the word 'savvy' but fortunately Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio have put it in context that makes it a worthwhile word, rather than a term used by people with no technical knowledge to describe people who can remember how to do simple things on computers.

[Editors note: Where possible, entertaining and whimsical links are provided by Rory]